The use of intermittent catheters has become almost a standard for persons not able to urinate of free will. Such users, typically paralysed persons such as para- and tetraplectics, have found that using intermittent catheters has greatly improved their freedom to move around and lead an active life as catheterisation can be performed anywhere.
However, in order for the user to come out publicly and socialise it has become more and more important that such products are discreet and easy to carry around. Thus, a demand for compact catheters, which can easily be stored and carried around in handbags or pockets, has grown.
In order to fulfil such needs, products such as the SpeediCath® Compact, produced by Coloplast A/S have been developed. However, this product mainly targets female users. Male users have a much longer urinary channel and thus other demands and requirements are to be fulfilled for a male product.
Many of these issues and solutions thereto have been discussed in WO 2006/045809, which discloses an expandable catheter with a transition between the individual sections allowing insertion of the transition into urethra.
However, there is still a need for alternative and improved solutions as will be discussed herein.